Houston Rockets vs Atlanta Hawks 01/08/20 NBA Odds, Preview and Prediction

The Houston Rockets face the Atlanta Hawks at the State Farm Arena on January 8, 2020.

The Rockets are the top team in the Western Conference’s Southwest Division. James Harden is coming off a 44-point triple-double in a win against the Sixers and he looks to continue his incredible scoring run in Atlanta. The Hawks just lost to the Denver Nuggets and they have dropped 12 out of their last 14 assignments. Atlanta is 4-13 SU at home this season and they lost to the Rockets 111-158 in their first meeting of the season last November 30, 2019.

Best Team in the Southwest

The Rockets are the best team in the Southwest Division right now. At 24-11, Houston has a 1.5 games lead over the second-placed Dallas Mavericks in the divisional team standings. They have won seven out of their last 10 games played and head East after back to back wins over the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers.

James Harden is averaging 38.4 points per game this season and is coming off a triple-double where he scored 44-points. In the same game against the Sixers, Clint Capela put up 30 points and 14 rebounds while Russell Westbrook had 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the victory.

The Rockets are the highest-scoring team in the league at 119.1 points per game this season. They are ranked 5th off the glass with 47.1 rebounds per game but are only 26th in passing at 21.6 assists per game. Houston is also giving up the 9th most points this season at 113.9 points per contest.

Last in the East

The Atlanta Hawks are 8-29 on the season and are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference team standings. In the Southeast Division, the Hawks are a far 18.5 games off the Miami Heat who currently lead their division. Atlanta is 2-14 in their last 16 games played although they have split their last four assignments.

Trae Young is having a fantastic sophomore season and is scoring 28.9 points per game. Young had 29 points during their loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night while Kevin Huerter added 22 points for the Hawks. Forward Jabari Parker has missed the Hawks’ last four games with a shoulder injury and is unsure to play in this contest.

The Hawks rank 23rd in scoring this season at 107.5 points per game. They are last in the league in rebounding at 42.0 boards grabbed per contest and are 19th in passing at 23.2 assists per game. Atlanta is next to last when it comes to scoring defense as they are giving up an average of 117.3 points per game this season.

Who Wins?

Houston is 7-2 SU in their last nine games played. The Rockets are 6-2 SU in their last eight games played on the road. Atlanta is 2-12 SU in their last 14 games played. The Hawks are 1-6 SU in their last seven games played at home. Head to head, the Rockets have won the last five games played between these two teams.

Houston is has lost just twice in their last nine games played and has won two in a row. In their last game, James Harden put up a 44-point triple-double in an impressive win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He also put up 35 in the previous game as the Rockets beat the Nuggets by 26 points.

The Hawks are coming off a loss to the Nuggets and have won just twice in their last 14 games played. Atlanta has won just once in their last seven home games and Jabari Parker is listed as day to day with an illness after he didn’t participate in practice on Tuesday.

James Harden is having an unstoppable season and he is heading to Atlanta after two monster games against two top contenders in the Nuggets and Sixers. The Hawks aren’t a good home team and maybe without Jabari Parker here. I don’t think Atlanta has anyone that is going to handcuff James Harden. When the Beard is having a hot streak, there is no stopping him and his team.

Prediction: Houston Rockets

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Other Bets to Make

The Rockets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games played. The Rockets are 3-2 ATS in their last five games played on the road, and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against the Southeast Division. The Hawks are 16-21 ATS in 37 games played this season. Atlanta is 9-8 ATS in 17 home games played this year, and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games against the Southwest Division.

The Rockets have outscored the Hawks by an average of 23.67 points per game in their last three meetings and Houston has won their last four meetings by at least eight points. Houston has been an above .500 road team this season while the Hawks have lost nine out of 13 home games. I like the visitors to pick up the win here and cover the spread.

Prediction: Rockets -8

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The total has gone under in four out of the last six games played by the Rockets. The under is 11-7 in Houston’s 18 road games played this year, and the under is also 10-2 in their last 12 games played against the Eastern Conference. The total has gone under in four out of the last six games played by the Hawks. Atlanta has seen the total go under in 10 out of their 17 home games played this season. The under is also 4-3 in the Hawks’ last seven home games against the Western Conference. Head to head, the under is 5-3 in the last eight meetings between these two squads.

These teams have combined to score an average of 223.7 points per game in their last 10 meetings. They combined to score 269 points last November 30, 2019, but have gone under 233 in their previous seven games before that last meeting. The Hawks are averaging just 100.83 points per game in their last six games played and although they can’t defend, their offense won’t help the Rockets push the total to the over.

Prediction: Under 237

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